📍 Navarre

Navarra is a wine zone in northern Spain, in the southern half of the autonomous community of Navarre. It is an appellation (DO) with statutes dating from 1933. The land combines a cool north with a hot south by the Ebro river. Navarra is part of Spanish wine.

In the Middle Ages, when Navarre was an independent kingdom, winemaking thrived partly thanks to pilgrims on the Way of St James. For a long time the area was known only for rosé wines from Garnacha. Today it also makes quality reds and whites.

The zone is divided into five subzones: Tierra Estella, Valdizarbe, Baja Montaña, Ribera Alta and Ribera Baja. Each gives wines of its own character: the north is cooler and closer to the Atlantic, the south hotter and drier. The grapes include Tempranillo, Garnacha and Graciano, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay. There is also a separate top-category estate, Pago de Otazu, a winery with its own appellation.

Thanks to this variety of climate, Navarra gives both light, fresh rosés and big reds, and sweet wines from Muscat grapes. To the west, Navarra borders Rioja. The Tierra Estella subzone runs along the Way of St James and covers 38 municipalities.